Golf-bag appliance



F. M DONALD GOLF BAG APPLIANCE Sept. 29, 1925. 1,555,019

Filed April l8, 1923 lwvewioz lit) Palm n 29,,

name it. micnouann, or warm:

GOLF-IRAQ Application filed April 18, 1928. Serial Ho. 633,875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. Mao- DONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GclfBag Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to golf bags and more particularly to an appliance for attacent to golf bags to facilitate handling the clubs, either hy the player or the caddy, when playing a game.

Golf hags are now generally provided with a handle, of the satchel type, and with a lo shoulder strap. enever a player, who totes his own cluhs, makes a stroke, he lays do his hag on the ground neoemitating steeping after each stroke to pick up the bag by the strap or the handle. is tiring, especially on the older players, and the time expended in laying down and picking up the bag slows up the game to an tent that is disadvantageous to the folio players when the course is crowded.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the dificulties just referred to in a simple and inexpensive mer. Accord ingly a feature of the invention comprises an auxiliary or supplemental handle for a golf hag, of negligible weight, so constructed and arran that the hag canhe drop we? to the ground and instantaneously lifted therefrom without steeping, or other Hm: posture, hy the player.

To the accomplishment of this ohject the invention comprises the features and comhi nations of parts described in detail hereinafter and then deed in its true soo hy the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw which:

ameter; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the handle illustrating the action of modified handle retaining and stop construction, with the handle raised as in Fi 1. I 1

In the embodiment of t e invention illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing the appliance comprises three main parts namely, a handle preferably in the form of a ll-shaped bar 10, a support comprising a ring clasp 12, and a ring locking r ll. The clasp 12 is in the form of a split ring which emhraces the leather reinforce at the open end of the golf bag 16 just below the usual stiffening ring 18. In attaching the appliance it is preferably, but not necessarily, so adjusted angularly that when the handle 10 is folded against the hag (see dotted lines Fig. l) it will lie at the side of the hag which is against the body when carrying the hag by. its shoulder strap 20, or tucked under the arm. Such a location will he found to he the most convenient in manipulating the handle as the hag is slipped to the 1 o: and it also keeps the handle away m the hall pocket when fold down.

The split ring clasp l2 oom rises a flat hand having two semi-circular erihle arms 22 (Fig. 2) each terminating in an outturned end 24, lying in the same plane, and en gaged hy the ring lo har ll. The two other ends of the hand arms 22 teate at the lug-like ends of'a housing 2t which is located diametrically op 'to the motor of the ear M. The ring casp is made of hrass or like metal and is sprung on the head of the golf hangoas shown in Fig. l. The locking har, vof hrass or other metal, is provided with looped ends (Figs. 1 and 2) which form sockets wit which the outted hand ends 24 of the clasp may he seated d thus hold and clamp the 'ring tightly to the hag. The liar ll, when ill lit

l is a perspective view of a golf m l i Saws 0 it a und to keep ltd hag l g on the ground having the new? g fmm d? e PP hanfle applied thereto, and shown in raised the handla mmt the 3 position, hill lines, and folded for carrying the hag, dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe auxiliary handle of Fig. it do tached from the hag; Figs. 3 and at illus trate details, in plan and rear elevation, of the neferred construction for automatically retaining the handle in either its raised or folded position; Fig. 5 is a detail showing a modification of the ground rest for quick to golf hags of varying dilid for automatically locking or retaining the handle in either of its positions the end walls of the housing 26 are provided with recesses in the form of grooves 25 and 27 (Figs. 3 and 4) extending. respectively. from the aperture for receiving the handle to the top wall and rear wall of the housing. \Vhen the bag is on the ground the handle ends 30 are held in the grooves 25 (see Fig. 3) by the spring 32 and when the handle is folded down the spring, in like manner holds the ends 30 in the grooves 27 (see Fig. 4). Since the handle ends 30 are held yieldingly together by the spring they can yield outward in moving from one position to the other and readily cam past the intervening projecting corner 29 of the housing. Lugs 31 may be provided at the upper forward corners of the housing to prevent an overthrow of the handle when raised.

A modified form of handle locking means is illustrated by Fig. 6 in which each handle end 30 is made solid and is provided with a socket 34 at its inner side. In each end wall of the housing there is an outwardly projecting locking pin 36. These pins are directly above the apertures through which the handle ends 30 enter so that when the handle is raised from its position against the bag the pins 36 will hold it in a position perpendicular to the bag by seating in the sockets 34. A stop lug 38 projects from one housing end wall at the forward side of the handle end 30 and functions to prevent a forward overthrow of the handle as the bag drops to the ground. A like stop lug 40 projects from the other housing end wall, at the rear side of the handle end 30 and functions to hold the handle against the bag when folded thereagainst. The central spring 32 permits the handle end to yield outwardly and cam past the lug 40 as the handle is raised to vertical position. The handle ends also cam past the two pins 36 until the sockets 34 register therewith and then the spring 32 draws the handle ends inward causing the pins to seat in the sockets and thus lock the handle in its upright position. Preferably the housing .26 is a casting having the constructional. features for either form just described.

. A modified form of the ring locking bar 14 is shown by Fig. 5. Golf bags are not of standard size and in order to obviate manufacture of the novel appliance in a number of sizes. the bar 14 may be made in two parts 42 and 44 detachably held together in any convenient manner, as by the screws shown, which may be inserted in one or another of the pairs of registering holes 46 according to the length desired for the bar as the diameter of the ring 12 is changed. In either form of locking bar. fter having been slipped over the outturne band ends 24. the parts may be bolted securely together as illustrated, although in practice the frictional fit of the parts has ordinarily been found to give sufficient holding power.

It will be observed that in carrying the bag the ground rest 14 is away from the body and the curved hand-hold 48 causes the tubular handle 10 to hug the bag and thus be unprotruding. After selecting a club for a shot the player's hand naturally seizes the thicker to resist bending. still is light in weight. The light weight tubular handle 10 completes the number of parts added to the bag. The small additional weight is unnoticeable in handling the bag and is wholly outweighed by the convenience and comfort afforded by the use of the appliance. W'hen consideration is given to the fact that the use of the novel appliance eliminates about one hundred Stoops in the average 18 hole game, for stroking or changing clubs, the advantage gained will readily be apparent. The construction is simple and inexpensive, acts automatically and accurately, and can be almost instantaneously applied to any golf bag.

While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited to one form of the invention. it is not to be understood that these particulars are essential since they may be variously modified within the skill of the artisan without departing from the true scope of the actual invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed as new. is

1. An appliance for golf bags comprising a ring clasp to fit about the head of a bag, a handle secured at one side of said clasp for folding against the bag. and a combined clasp retainer and ground rest at the other side of said clasp.

2-. An auxiliary handle for golf bags comprising a generally U-shaped bar the legs of which are inturned at their free ends. a support to be secured to the bag having apertured lugs to loosely receive said inturned ends. a spring connecting said ends and yieldingly drawing them together, and means for retaining the handle in a selected relation to the support.

3. A golf bag appliance. comprising a flexible band split at one side with its ends outturned, a bar having inturned ends forming sockets to receive said band ends and hold the band in position when sprun on a golf bag. and a handle at the side of the band opposite the bar.

4. A golf bag appliance comprising a flexible band split at one side with its ends outturned, a bar having inturned ends forming sockets to receive said band ends and hold the band in position when sprung on a golf bag, means to vary the length of said bar whereby to vary the size of the band, and a handle mounted on said band opposite the bar.

5. The combination with a golf bag of a ring clasp adjacent its open end, an elongated bar secured to said clasp and serving as a preventative against rolling when the bag l1es on the ground, and an auxiliary bag handle pivotally mounted on said clasp, diametrically opposite said bar, for folding against the bag when not in use and for being turned into perpendicular relation to the bag as it is dropped to the ground.

6. An appliance for golf bags comprising a support having provision for attachment to a golf bag, a handle of substantial length hinged to said support and movable to lie along the outer side of the bag or stand out from the bag within ready reach of a player without stooping and a rest projecting from said support and for engagement with the ground to preventrolling of the bag and consequent rocking of the handle to the ground.

7. A golf bag appliance comprising an auxiliary handle, a clasp connected'to the handle having a pair of arms adapted to receive a golf bag and means cooperating with said arms whereby the clasp may be ad justable to fit bags of different diameters.

8. A golf bag appliance comprising an auxiliary handle, a clasp connected to said handle having overlapping portions adjustable to vary the extent of their overlap that the clasp may fit bags of different-diameters and means to secure said overlapping portions together in their diflerent positions 0 adjustment.

FREDERICK L. MACDONALD. 

